Starting with a Wei Wu soldier

Chapter 203 Suspicious Sights on the Northern Route

The decisions and resources of the capital were being transformed into concrete orders and supplies, flowing towards the northern frontier and western Liang. However, Murong Mingyue, far away at Juma Fortress, was facing an even more pressing and unpredictable situation.

The intelligence obtained from interrogating Tuomu, especially the clues about the "western route" and "people from the south," set Murong Mingyue on high alert. She immediately followed Chen Xing's secret orders and intensified reconnaissance efforts to the west. Pang De personally selected the most valiant and experienced veterans in the army, familiar with the mountainous terrain, and former Hu volunteers to form three "Western Mountain Scout Teams" of fifty men each. Led by three experienced captains, they carried ten days' rations, winter clothing, and climbing tools, braving the recurring snowflakes, and plunged into the towering, sparsely populated mountains west of Juma Fortress.

Meanwhile, the fortress's defenses were being continuously reinforced. In anticipation of another sneak attack by the Snow Wolf Clan's "Mountain Climbers," barbed wire mesh and hanging bells were added to the walls, and the range of torchlight at night was further expanded. The Divine Arm Battalion intensified its training in aiming and shooting under snow and darkness, while the Trapped Battalion focused on practicing shield and spear combined attacks against small elite raids from narrow walltops.

Days passed in tense preparation and waiting. The main force of the Snow Wolf Clan in the north seemed to have quieted down. For several days in a row, apart from the occasional sighting of small groups of scouts in the far distance, there was no sign of a large army approaching. This unusual calm made the atmosphere inside the fortified barricade even more oppressive, like the deathly stillness before a blizzard.

Every day, Murong Mingyue would climb to the highest point of the fortress wall and use the monocular telescope, inlaid with crystal, that Chen Xing had previously bestowed upon her, to gaze northward. The grasslands seen through the lens were a patchwork of withered yellow and snow-white, vast and desolate, with no sign of any large gathering of troops. What was Uvi waiting for? News from the west? Worse weather? Or perhaps more promises or intelligence from the possible "southerner"?

On the seventh day after the scouts from Xishan were dispatched, at dusk, the first team finally returned, but only fewer than twenty men came back, all wounded, their expressions a mixture of exhaustion and fear. The captain who led the team had lost an arm; after a simple bandage, he struggled to report to Murong Mingyue and Pang De.

"Your Majesty, General... the mountains to the west... they're absolutely impassable!" The captain's voice was hoarse, his face filled with lingering fear. "We traveled about eighty li along a seemingly passable valley. At first, it was alright, but it became increasingly treacherous as we went deeper. Both sides were sheer cliffs, as if cut by a knife and axe, and the valley floor was littered with jagged rocks. In some places, the snow was waist-deep, making it impossible for horses to pass; we had to lead them, and the pace was extremely slow. On the third day, we were ambushed at a pass!"

"An ambush?" Pound raised a thick eyebrow. "Was it the Snow Wolf Clan?"

"It wasn't a large force," the captain gasped. "There weren't many, probably only twenty or thirty, but they were all experts in mountain warfare! They hid behind rocks and dead trees on the cliffs on both sides, ambushing us with specially made short bows and poisoned arrows. Their archery was extremely accurate, targeting the eyes and throats of men and horses. We were caught off guard, and more than a dozen of our brothers fell in an instant. We tried to retaliate, but we couldn't find them anywhere! They would move on after shooting, like mountain demons. We could only desperately charge forward, trying to break through the pass, but... but ahead was a precipice! There was no way out! It was a dead end!"

The captain's eyes turned bloodshot: "We were trapped between the pass and the cliff, becoming sitting ducks! Brothers fell one by one... In the end, it was Hu Yi, an old hunter from the village, who discovered an extremely narrow, snow-covered animal trail on one side of the cliff. We abandoned all our horses and supplies, tied ourselves together with ropes, and used our hands and feet to barely crawl out of that trail. We took a long detour, losing most of our brothers, before finally escaping back... That group didn't chase after us; it seemed they only wanted to force us back or kill us in that dead valley."

Murong Mingyue and Pang De's expressions were grave. This was clearly not a chance encounter with hunters or bandits. The other side was familiar with the terrain, their ambush was precise, and their purpose was clear: to stop or eliminate the scouts. This confirmed two things: first, the western route did indeed exist, and the Snow Wolf Clan had already deployed guards and ambush forces there; second, the "dead end" where they were ambushed was likely a deliberately disguised or misguided path, and the real passage might be elsewhere.

"Are the clothing, weapons, and tactics of those ambushers similar to those of the 'White Wolf Guards' who scaled the wall earlier?" Murong Mingyue pressed.

The captain thought carefully, then shook his head: "It was dark, so I couldn't see clearly, but it felt... different. Those who scaled the wall were more skilled and better equipped. Those who ambushed us seemed more like... more like hunters from the mountains, or some small tribe that specializes in mountain warfare, bribed by the Snow Wolf Clan."

Just then, a soldier on patrol outside the fort rushed in to report: "Your Majesty, General! Five li outside the fort, a lone rider has been spotted heading towards our fort. They are moving very slowly, and the horse seems to be carrying something. Judging from their clothing... they appear to be scouts sent by our army, but there is only one of them!"

Murong Mingyue and Pang De immediately climbed onto the wall. In the twilight, they indeed saw a blurry figure of a man and horse, moving laboriously across the snowfield, with something seemingly lying on the horse's back. The garrison cautiously dispatched a small team to provide backup, and they quickly brought the man back into the fortress.

He was a squad leader from the second scout team in the Western Hills, named Wang Zhuang. He was also covered in wounds, his lips were blue from the cold, and he had almost rolled off his horse. What he brought back was a corpse tightly bound to the horse's back with leather ropes—it was the captain who led the second scout team, with a dark short arrow stuck in his chest, his face blackened, and he had been dead for a long time.

"Queen... General..." After being given a few mouthfuls of hot soup, Wang Zhuang caught his breath and, with tears streaming down his face, recounted their ordeal in fits and starts.

They took another, more northerly valley, which initially went smoothly, and they even found some fresh tracks that appeared to indicate a large group had recently passed through. Following these tracks, they ventured about a hundred miles into a dense, perpetually dark, primeval coniferous forest. The forest was covered in deep snow, dark and damp, making it difficult to discern directions.

"Right in the woods...we...we think we've stumbled into a maze..." Wang Zhuang's eyes were filled with terror. "No matter which way we went, we were just going in circles, and the compass was unreliable. The brothers were cold and exhausted, and their hearts were pounding. The captain said we couldn't go any deeper and we were preparing to turn back...just as we were turning around, a thick fog suddenly rolled in, everything was white, and we couldn't see anyone more than a few steps away. Then...then we heard those ghostly whistling sounds from all directions, along with a woman's shrill laughter..."

According to Wang Zhuang's description, dark shadows flashed through the thick fog, and arrows came from unbelievable angles, targeting those who were alone or panicked. The ranks instantly fell into chaos. The captain shouted for a regrouping, but was struck in the chest by a poisoned arrow that appeared out of nowhere and died instantly. The ranks collapsed completely, and everyone scattered and fled. Driven by instinct and a bit of luck, Wang Zhuang dragged the captain's body, stole a frightened horse, and, after the fog cleared somewhat, managed to find his way and escape. He was the only one who made it back; the fate of the others was unknown.

"Dense fog? Whistle? A woman's shrill laughter?" Pound frowned. "A charade!"

Murong Mingyue remained silent. She approached the captain's corpse and examined the short arrow closely. The shaft was shorter than ordinary arrows, and the arrowhead was long, narrow, and hooked, gleaming with a ghostly blue luster, clearly coated with deadly poison. The fletching was made of some kind of black bird feathers, and the craftsmanship was quite exquisite, slightly different from the style of the Snow Wolf Clan arrows she had seen before.

"This isn't the kind of arrows commonly used by the Snow Wolf Clan," Murong Mingyue said in a deep voice. "It seems more like... the kind favored by certain isolated border tribes that worship mountain spirits. It appears that Uwei not only uses vassal tribes as cannon fodder, but also recruits or coerces some small tribes skilled in the ways of the mountains and forests to block the western route and confuse our army."

Two scout teams suffered heavy losses: one was ambushed and died on the road, and the other was ambushed in the forest. Neither team managed to find the truly viable "western route," and instead lost a large number of elite reconnaissance personnel. This was undoubtedly a setback.

Murong Mingyue stared at the western mountainous region on the map, still shrouded in mist, her eyes flashing with a cold light. Uvi's arrangements were more meticulous and insidious than she had anticipated. He used vassal troops to wear her down in a direct confrontation, attempted a surprise attack with the "White Wolf Guards," and then used these tribes skilled in mountain warfare to block the passages, setting up layers of defenses. His aim was to pin her main force down at the barricades, while simultaneously concealing his true, circuitous intentions.

"We can't keep sending small teams to their deaths like this," Murong Mingyue said resolutely. "General Pang, order the third scout team to change their mission. Instead of risking their way deep into the mountains to find a way out, they should choose several high-lying, strategically important locations on the edge of the mountains to establish concealed lookout posts and conduct long-term surveillance. The key is to monitor for any signs of large-scale troop movements, cooking smoke, or unusual nighttime fires. At the same time, try to contact any hunters or small villages that may exist on the edge of the mountains, offering them substantial rewards to obtain more accurate terrain information and tribal details."

"Furthermore," she said, looking at Wang Zhuang and the one-armed captain, "we must treat the fallen soldiers well and provide proper medical care for the wounded. Your sacrifices will not have been in vain; at least we now know that the western route does exist and is being closely guarded by Uwei. From now on, we will try a different approach to deal with them."

Night fell again at Juma Fortress, and the snowstorm seemed to be intensifying. Murong Mingyue stood atop the wall, letting snowflakes blanket her shoulders. The western front was shrouded in mist, the enemy lay in ambush, and the mysterious "southern traveler" was like a ghost... The situation in the northern frontier was becoming increasingly complex. But she knew she couldn't waver in the slightest. Every moment she held firm here gave the capital more time to prepare.

"Uvi, you want to play hide-and-seek? Trying to use a feint to stall me?" Murong Mingyue gazed at the dark northern night sky, muttering to herself, a cold smile curving her lips. "Then let's see who finds the other's weakness first."